Best minds put their heart into tackling dementia

Researchers in heart disease, stroke and dementia came together on Thursday 28th of June, to discuss the links between the different conditions and how better health prevention messages could slow the alarming rise in the number of people with dementia in the UK.

The number of people with dementia in the UK is set to soar to over a million people in less than 20 years and there is still no cure. Emerging evidence has shown that leading a healthy lifestyle can help people to reduce their risk of dementia by up to 40 per cent.

Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society says,

'Over 100 000 people in the UK develop dementia each year. Evidence has shown that a healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk. This Alzheimer's Awareness Week®, we are encouraging people to Be Headstrong and challenge their risk of dementia. We must start to tackle dementia head on, even delaying dementia by five years will halve the number of deaths in the UK.'

Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at Alzheimer's Society, says,

'We are only beginning to see how much a healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk of dementia. Some studies show that obesity can double your risk while a Mediterranean diet can lower your risk by as much as 40 per cent. It's time to act now to slow the rising tide of dementia.'